1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to football tackling dummies, and more specifically relates to football tackling dummies suspended from an overhead device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Physical sports such as football require players to become proficient at performing certain techniques. In football, players must frequently be able to tackle their opponents in both offensive and defensive maneuvers. As such, the success of both offensive and defensive plays hinges on the athlete's ability to properly tackle the opposing team's players. In addition to the obvious importance of proper tackling techniques relative to the success of the game, if proper tackling techniques are not utilized, injuries to the players often result.
Conditioning players to utilize proper tackling techniques is often accomplished using tackling dummies. Conventionally, tackling dummies are generally cylindrical in shape and are mounted to a skid or carriage that may be pushed along the field. Players line up in front of the tackling dummy and, upon command, tackle the dummy by exerting force upon it. The dummy's movement is limited by the friction between the carriage mounted thereto and the field, thus providing strength training to the player.
In other conventional designs, tackling dummies are disproportionately weighted, the heavier side being positioned near the bottom end, and are freestanding on the field. A player may simply tackle the dummy, the dummy reverting back to its original upright position once the player removes himself. Some tackling dummies are also suspended from an overhead device.
The conventional tackling dummies are limited in that they do not require the player to utilize proper technique while performing a tackle. The conventional dummies may be pushed, knocked over or detached by simply exerting force upon the dummy. As such, the conventional dummies act more as strength training devices as opposed to conditioning devices that force the player to train utilizing proper technique. In addition, the conventional tackling dummies are static, i.e., they are fixed and do not move with respect to the mounting platform thereon, providing little coordination training to the athlete. Furthermore, the conventional tackling dummies are often difficult and tedious to reposition after training. For example, conventional dummies that are mounted to a carriage must be dragged back to the starting position at the end of each training repetition. Similarly, conventional dummies that are suspended are often difficult to reattach after training.
The present invention provides a novel tackling dummy that promotes proper tackling technique during training that overcomes the inherent disadvantages of the conventional tackling dummies.